On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!

Summer Reading 2016 @ Buffalo & Erie County Public Libraries

Summer is right around the corner and the 37 Buffalo & Erie County Public Libraries are ready to welcome children and families with a full slate of Summer Reading activities and programs designed to foster a love of reading and sense of discovery. That message was announced by Library System Director Mary Jean Jakubowski during the “On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!” Summer Reading Kickoff today at the downtown Central Library. More than sixty students from Buffalo’s Bennett Park Montessori School were in attendance and were entertained by The Wondermakers storyteller performers.

“With tens of thousands of engaging books and many weekly Summer Reading programs, our public libraries will be packed with a range of free and exciting things to read and do all summer long,” said Director Jakubowski. “We hope you will team up with your public library because we have the expertise to help families discover books that can challenge, excite and interest children and teens.”

Study after study shows that summer reading programs raise students’ learning levels and help children, teens and young adults retain and enhance their reading skills – meaning they are better prepared for school each fall.

Highlights of this year’s “On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!”include:

· Reading Logs, Reading Competitions and Great Prizes - Register at your local library. Children track their summer reads. Incentives and prizes are provided when predetermined reading milestones (number of books read) are reached.

· Summer Online Reading Challenge - Adults and teens - exercise your mind by reading a book or two or three! Then write a short review and post it to the Library’s online contest website to win some terrific prizes. One lucky participant will win an Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablet Reader. Children and summer camps can enter as well.

· Library Night at the Races - For the fourth year, Library Night at the Races takes place at Holland Nascar MotorSports Complex. Saturday, August 20 is the big night. Children read two books and earn a free pass. Libraries will also have discount coupons for adults to attend.

· Read Down Your Fines - Children ages 16 and under have an opportunity to pay down overdue library fines through reading. For every 15 minutes of reading, a child earns one Library Buck toward reducing or eliminating overdue fines. Now through September 3. Last year, 617 young readers participated, eliminating $4,031 in library fines.

· Battle of the Books – All readers are winners in the annual Battle of the Books on Saturday, August 6 in the Erie Community College – South Campus Gym. This popular summertime team trivia competition is open to youth entering grades six through nine. Currently there are 30 teams with approximately 200 participants. Interested in joining a team? Head to your local library for details. All team members read the same five books to prepare for trivia questions about those books while vying for the coveted Battle title and trophy. It’s fun! It’s loud! It’s a GREAT summer activity! Last year Lancaster Public Library took the gold medal competing against 20 local library teams in a fast-paced lightning round before 500+ fans.

· Canalside - Every Tuesday, beginning June 28 through August 30 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., the Library will be stationed outdoors at Buffalo’s Canalside for “On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!” super storytelling and craft programs.

Open eBooks – This is a new reading app just for kids! Thousands of children’s books are available to download for free for a period of up to eight weeks. Visit your library beginning next week for details on the Open eBooks app.

Mayor Byron Brown’s Reading Rules Summer Challenge – Visit your library to learn about this program for children and teens.

Free library cards are available in all libraries and applications can be downloaded from www.BuffaloLib.org. Parents or guardians with identification must accompany the child to obtain a card. Schools are encouraged to share with the Library their list of Summer Reading assignments per grade. For more information about Summer Reading activities, visit your Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, call 716-858-8900 or visit www.BuffaloLib.org. You can follow the Library on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,Pinterest and Flickr.

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Summer Reading is funded, in part, by Federal Library Services & Technology Act Funds, awarded to the New York State Library by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Special thanks to the Wondermakers courtesy of Young Audiences of WNY; Rich Products, National Grid, National Fuel, The Buffalo News, WGRZ TV 2, WBEN Radio, WKSE Radio and Holland Nascar MotorSports Complex.

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